Grade control apparatus for display set used in tapestry

ABSTRACT

The invention discloses an angle adjusting device for wall mounted type display apparatus, including a fixing bracket fixed on the wall or a support structure, a device fastening frame, which is fixed on the back of the wall mounted display apparatus, the fixing bracket being pivotably connected to a lower end of the device fastening frame, an angle adjusting member having a predetermined rotation resistance with one end pivotably connected to the fixing bracket and the other end pivotably connected to the device fastening frame, and a balancing tension spring with one end connected to the fixing bracket and the other end connected to the device fastening frame. In use, a small force is applied directly to the wall mounted display apparatus or the angle adjusting device to precisely adjust the angle of the display apparatus according to users&#39; needs without removing the display apparatus.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an angle adjusting device for a wall mounted type display apparatus, and more particularly to an angle adjusting device, which can precisely adjust a tilt angle of a wall mounted type display apparatus in accordance with users' needs.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

As technology develops, many display apparatus are designed to be relatively thin, so that they can be easily mounted onto a wall. Thin type display apparatus save space, look beautiful and are practical. For example, although the displaying areas of Plasma Display Panel TVs and Liquid Crystal Display TVs that are highly demanded in the market become increasingly large, their thicknesses become increasingly thin. A thin type display apparatus brings viewers a new visual experience.

Generally, for a user to view pictures showing in a display apparatus conveniently for a long time, an angle adjusting device is firstly fixed onto a wall, and then a display apparatus is mounted on the angle adjusting device, where the user can adjust the tilt angle of the display apparatus according to his needs. Chinese Patent publication No. CN2589794, titled of ADJUSTABLE WALL-MOUNTED SUPPORT FOR PLASMA TELEVISION, discloses an early stage angle adjusting device. The angle adjusting device includes a upper, a lower, a left and a right elongated members secured to each another. A moveable arm is connected to each of the left and right elongated members. Each of the arms is connected to a link at the an end of the link. A connecting bolt connects the other end of the link to the corresponding left or right elongated member through an adjustment hole. The arm defines an assembling hole. A TV can be adjusted to different angles by using the device disclosed in the above-mentioned patent. However, the angle is limited to a few pre-determined degrees according to the positions of the adjustment holes in left and right elongated members; the angle can not be adjusted precisely to meet users' needs. Furthermore, when the angle is being adjusted, the TV must be removed from the device first, and then the link is positioned into an desired adjusting hole. After adjustment, the TV is mounted back to the device. It is inconvenient to disassemble the TV from the device because a plasma display TV is generally large in size and has many wires at its back.

Later, angle adjusting devices that can precisely adjust the angle of a display apparatus conveniently based on users' needs without removing the display apparatus were introduced. As shown in FIG. 1, Chinese Patent publication No. CN1389753, titled GRADE CONTROL APPARATUS OF DISPLAY SET FOR TAPESTRY, discloses a grade control apparatus, which includes guide brackets, holding-down brackets, adjusting link transmission shafts, an angle adjustable shaft, and an angle adjustable hand lever. The angle adjustable shaft has gears for being engaged with bevel gears of the adjusting link transmission shafts. Angle adjustable hand lever receives an external force to adjust the angle. As shown in FIG. 2, Chinese Patent publication No. CN1389658, titled APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING AN ANGLE OF A DISPLAY MEANS AND A CONNECTION BRACKET THEREOF, discloses an angle adjusting apparatus. The apparatus includes a flap installed between a fixing bracket on the wall and connecting brackets of the display apparatus. The angle of the display apparatus is adjusted by adjusting the angle of the flap. Although the apparatus disclosed by the above two patents can precisely adjust the angle of the display apparatus, there remain several drawbacks in use:

1. Because the display apparatus is heavy, in order to adjust the angle an external force must be transformed to a greater adjusting force by applying the external force to the angle adjustable hand lever.

2. The structures of the above two angle adjusting apparatus are complex; their costs are high; their suitable application scopes are narrow.

3. The above two angle adjusting apparatus are relatively thick, which is not in accordance with the present trend of slim display apparatus.

CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide an angle adjusting device with simple structure for wall mounted type display apparatus. By using the device, an external force can be directly exerted to a display apparatus to precisely adjust its display angle according to users' needs without removing the display apparatus.

To realize the above objective, the present invention includes a fixing bracket to be fixed to a wall or a support structure, a device fastening frame to be connected to the back of the wall mounted display apparatus, the device fastening frame pivotably connected to a lower end of the fixing bracket, an angle adjusting member having an end pivotably connected to the fixing bracket and the other end pivotably connected to the device fastening frame, the angle adjusting member providing a rotation resistance, and a balancing tension spring having an end connected to the fixing bracket and the other end connected to the device fastening frame.

By using the angle adjusting device, when the angle adjusting device and the display apparatus fixed thereon are tilted to a certain angle, as shown in FIG. 3, with respect to a pivot 22, the torque formed by the weight of the angle adjusting device and the display apparatus, the torque formed by the tensile force of the balancing tension spring and the torque formed by the resisting force applied to the device fastening frame by the angle adjusting member are in a equilibrium state. The tilt angle may be adjusted when the external force applied is greater than the responsive force required to destroy the equilibrium. The magnitude of the responsive force may be adjusted by adjusting the rotation resistance of the angle adjusting member and the elastic coefficient and the initial length of the balancing tension spring in accordance with the weight of the display apparatus and users' preferred range of the adjusting force. Because the tensile force of the balancing tension spring can approximately offset the horizontally outward component of the weight of the display apparatus, the required external force used to adjust the tilt angle is approximately the same magnitude either by pushing or by pulling. Therefore, the tilt angle can be precisely adjusted by applying a small amount of force directly to the display apparatus or the angle adjusting device without removing the display apparatus from the angle adjusting device.

When used, the angle adjusting member includes two arms and a hinge assembly. An end of an arm is hinged by the hinge assembly; the other end of the arm is pivotably connected to the device fastening frame; the other end of the other arm is pivotably connected to the fixing bracket. The hinge assembly provides a predetermined rotation resistance. The tensile force of the balancing tension spring can substantively offset the weight of the display apparatus; the rotation resistance of the hinge assembly can prevent the arms from rotating. The hinge assembly includes a bolt, washers, elastic washers and a nut; the friction forces among these members produce the rotation resistance.

According to practical use, the rotation resistance of the angle adjusting member and the elastic coefficient of the balancing tension spring may be adjusted in accordance with the weight of the display apparatus. The angle adjusting device may include a plurality of angle adjusting members and one balancing tension spring; or the angle adjusting device may include one angle adjusting member and a plurality of balancing tension springs; or the angle adjusting device may include a plurality of angle adjusting members and a plurality of balancing tension springs.

In conclusion, comparing to the prior art devices, the angle adjusting device has the following advantages:

1. An individual user may adjust the tilt angle manually by applying force directly on the display apparatus; the magnitude of the force is relatively small, even when the display apparatus may be considerably heavy.

2. The angle adjusting device is of simple structure and low cost. It has broad application. It may be used with high technology electronic products, such as Plasma TVs, LCD TVs; it may also be used with big billboards, view boards and exhibition boards.

3. The angle adjusting member and the balancing tension spring may be disposed within a recess formed by the fixing bracket and the device fastening frame. The angle adjusting device is relatively thin and beautiful.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the structure disclosed in China Patent CN1389753, GRADE CONTROL APPARATUS OF DISPLAY SET FOR TAPESTRY;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the structure disclosed in China Patent CN1389658, APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING AN ANGLE OF A DISPLAY MEANS AND A CONNECTION BRACKET THEREOF;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a angle adjusting device according to the present invention, when it is opened;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view according to the present invention, when it is closed;

FIG. 5 is a exploded perspective view of the arms and the hinge assembly of the angle adjusting device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention is described below in details based on the drawings and embodiments.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the present invention includes a fixing bracket 1, a device fastening frame 2, an angle adjusting member 3 and a balancing tension spring 4. The fixing bracket 1 is installed on a support structure 5. The device fastening frame 2 is installed on the back of a display apparatus 6. The fixing bracket 1 is pivotably connected to a lower end of the device fastening frame 2. An end of the angle adjusting member 3 is pivotably connected to an end of the fixing bracket 1 and the other end is pivotably connected to an end of the device fastening frame 2. Rotation of the device fastening frame 2 is limited by the angle adjusting member 3. An end of the balancing tension spring 4 is connected to the fixing bracket 1 and the other end is connected to the device fastening frame 2.

In use, a hook 11 is formed on the back of the fixing bracket 1, which can be hooked on a support structure 5 that is fixed on the wall 8 by a expansion screw 7. The fixing bracket 1 may also be fixed directly on the wall 8.

The device fastening frame 2 is fixed on the back of the wall mounted type display apparatus 6 (e.g., PDP TV, LCD TV and so on) by setscrews 21. The lower end of the device fastening frame is connected to the fixing bracket by a pivot 22. The device fastening frame may pivot around the pivot 22.

The angle adjusting member 3 includes two arms 31, 32. An end of the arms 31, 32 is hinged by a hinge assembly 33; the other end is pivotably connected to the fixing bracket 1 and the device fastening frame 2 by pivots 34 and 35 respectively. As shown in FIG. 5, the hinge assembly 33 (generally called “hinge” in the electric display field presently) includes a bolt 331, a plurality of washers 332, a plurality of elastic washers 333 and a nut 334, which are in sequence connected to the arms 31 and 32. The arms 31 and 32 may pivot around the hinge assembly 33. The rotation resistance of the hinge assembly 33 may be adjusted by setting the tightness of the nut 334, the number of the elastic washers 333 and the elastic coefficient of the elastic washers 333. A hinge assembly with suitable rotation resistance should be selected in accordance with the different weights of the wall mounted type display apparatus 6.

One end of the balancing tension spring 4 is connected to the fixing bracket 1, while the other end is connected to the device fastening frame 2. Because the tensile force of the balancing tension spring 4 can approximately offset the horizontally outward component of the weight of the display apparatus 6, the required external force used to adjust the tilt angle is approximately the same magnitude either by pushing or by pulling. The balancing tension spring 4 with a suitable elastic coefficient and initial length should be selected according to the weight of the display apparatus 6.

The relative position of the angle adjusting assemble 3 and the balancing tension spring 4 may be changed in accordance with users' needs; for example, while the balancing tension spring 4 is at an upper position, the angle adjusting assemble 3 may be at a lower position or at the same horizontal level as the balancing tension spring 4.

When the angle adjusting device and the display apparatus fixed thereon are tilted to a certain angle, with respect to a pivot 22, the torque formed by the weight of the angle adjusting device and the display apparatus, the torque formed by the tensile force of the balancing tension spring and the torque formed by the resisting force applied to the device fastening frame by the angle adjusting member are in a equilibrium state. To adjust the tilt angle to different degrees, different corresponding responsive force are required in order to destroy the equilibrium state of the three existing torque. The tilt angle of the display apparatus 6 can be adjusted only when an external force applied to the device is greater than the corresponding required responsive force. At the same time, because of the existence of such minimal responsive force for adjusting the tilt angle, after users finish adjusting the angle, the adjusted angle can keep constant for a long time. The magnitude of the responsive force may be adjusted by adjusting the rotation resistance of the angle adjusting member 3 and the elastic coefficient and the initial length of the balancing tension spring 4 in accordance with the weight of the display apparatus 6 and users' preferred range of the adjusting force.

The invention is provided with a maximal open angle that is generally about 20 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 4, the angle adjusting member and the balancing tension spring may be disposed within a recess formed by the fixing bracket and the device fastening frame. The angle adjusting device is relatively thin and beautiful.

In addition, the fixing bracket 1 and the device fastening frame 2 can be configured as one piece, or constitute frames or combination of beams and poles according to the cost requirements. The number of the angle adjusting member 3 and the balancing tension spring 4 can be increased or decreased according to users' needs. For example, the angle adjusting device may include a plurality of angle adjusting members 3 and one balancing tension spring 4; or the angle adjusting device may include one angle adjusting member 3 and a plurality of balancing tension springs 4; or the angle adjusting device may include a plurality of angle adjusting members 4 and a plurality of balancing tension springs 4.

In use, the support structure 5 is firstly fixed on the wall 8; the device fastening frame 2 is fixed onto the back of the wall mounted type display apparatus 6; the wall mounted type display apparatus 6 and the angle adjusting device are hooked onto the support structure 5 with the hook 11 on the back of the fixing bracket 1. According to users' needs, a corresponding adjusting force is directly applied on the wall mounted display apparatus 6 or the angle adjusting device thereof to adjust the tilt angle of the wall mounted type display apparatus 6. 

1-5. (canceled)
 6. An angle adjusting device for a wall mounted type display apparatus, comprising: a fixing bracket to be fixed on a support structure; a fastening frame to be connected to the wall mounted type display apparatus, an end of said fastening frame pivotably connected to said fixing bracket; an angle adjusting member providing a rotation resistance and including a first end pivotably connected to said fixing bracket and a second end pivotably connected to said fastening frame; and an balancing tension spring including a first end connected to said fixing bracket and a second end connected to said fastening frame.
 7. An angle adjusting device of claim 6, wherein said angle adjusting member further includes: a first arm; a second arm; and a hinge assembly providing a predetermined rotation resistance, wherein a first end of said first arm is hinged with a first end of said second arm by said hinge assembly, a second end of said first arm is pivotably connected to said fastening frame, a second end of said second arm is pivotably connected to said fixing bracket.
 8. An angle adjusting device of claim 7, wherein said hinge assembly includes: a bolt; at least one washer; at least one elastic washer; and a nut.
 9. An angle adjusting device of claim 7, wherein said angle adjusting member adjusts a magnitude of the rotation resistance and said balancing tension spring adjusts an elastic coefficient in accordance with a weight of the wall mounted type display apparatus.
 10. An angle adjusting device of claim 6, wherein said angle adjusting member adjusts a magnitude of the rotation resistance and said balancing tension spring adjusts an elastic coefficient in accordance with a weight of the wall mounted type display apparatus.
 11. An angle adjusting device of claim 6 wherein said angle adjusting member includes multiple angle adjusting members, each including a first end pivotably connected to said fixing bracket and a second end pivotably connected to said fastening frame.
 12. An angle adjusting device of claim 11 wherein said balancing tension spring is multiple balancing tension springs, each including a first end connected to said fixing bracket and a second end connected to said fastening frame.
 13. An angle adjusting device of claim 6 wherein said balancing tension spring is multiple balancing tension springs, each including a first end connected to said fixing bracket and a second end connected to said fastening frame. 